15 replies to this topic

[TopCatCustom]

Hi all, just wondering what you guys think would be best, I'm going to be rallying it and I'm just not sure that megajolt will be reliable with the really rough ride and stones etc being thrown up and maybe hitting the crank position sensor etc!

Any opinions?

[WiredbyWilson]

The bracket you use on the sensor should be tough enough to take it, failing that put a protective sheild over it.

MJ has loads more advantages than a dizzy and worth the investment.

[Ethel]

The crank sensor is likely to be close to the radiator, surely that's more delicate?

Programmable ignition will help you maximise torque throughout the rev range - more worthwhile on a rally car than most other racers.

[TopCatCustom]

Curse you! I can't stand these modern electrics! Would it actually be more reliable than a dissy with lumenition fitted?

I guess I should really just bite the bullet and go for it, I'm 99% sure I'm capable of doing it, just a bit nervous to make the jump from old skool...

[Kerrin]

When I took the jump to MJ the cost difference was negligable over an aldon or 123 dizzy, and I would be able to re-map the system if the engine spec changed or i went SC or Turbo.

You can have the two systems fitted to the car and use either by changing a few wires over until you are happy the system is reliable.

For Rallying the good thing about the MJ is that it can all be sited away from the front of the engine making it less susceptible to water, the other great bonus is the extra space you gain at the front of the engine once the dizzy is blanked off, which can be used for oil coolers, front rad etc.

I wouldnt change mine back.

[HARBER07]

I think the EDIS unit is actually watertight anyways?. The only issue I've ever had with MJ is ripping the crank sensor cable off gunning down a lane. But thats entirely my fault for not routing the cable sensibly!!

[MiniLandy]

I changed my mini to MJ when i put the 1275 engine in. Knew very little about how it worked, or went together.

Got it, made a crank sensor mount (easy), mounted the coilpack, done.

Did the engine change from 998 to 1275 in a weekend, and that includes fitting and wiring all the new gizmos in the engine bay.

Since it went in, it's only failed on me ONCE, and that was my fault. Trigger wheel came loose (i never put any loctite on it) and the timing went mental. Got towed home, sorted it, and it's never missed a beat. I'm CERTAIN that if i'd had a dizzy, my car would have broken down during the storms the other week.

Seriously, being able to drive through puddles without fear, and adjust my timing as i need to, is fantastic.

[MiniLandy]

I think the EDIS unit is actually watertight anyways?. The only issue I've ever had with MJ is ripping the crank sensor cable off gunning down a lane. But thats entirely my fault for not routing the cable sensibly!!

Indeed it is, if you whip the cap off, you'll see that all the electronickery is immersed in a kind of gel stuff...

[TopCatCustom]

Thanks for the replies, sounds like I'd really be daft not to go down the MJ route then. Maybe I should go the whole hog and make it twin point injection using twin SU's as throttle bodies for the classic look

[mk3 Cooper S]

IMO get started with what you have,
If you feel the need for the better pickup or performance and you pockets are deep enough go for the MJ.

Rallying can get very expensive initially and there is always something to spend your money on.

My advice would to get up and running and then improve you car as your skill improves.

[TopCatCustom]

I dont have the engine yet, so will be building it to a modest spec and as I will have to get a dissy (peanuts I know for a basic one) I may go straight in with the MJ. This is the 2nd rally one I've had so I know what costs can be like

[TopCatCustom]

Just to touch on this again- I hope you dont mind Cooperman but I borrowed this from a post of yours I saw today:

I use points in my rally Mini and in my Innocenti because if the ignition system goes wrong I carry a spare coil, condenser and points and a couple of plugs. Then I can cure it easily and not have to be returned on a trailer. It doesn't seem to affect the power in any noticeable way although I do clean and re-set the points quite regularly

And wondered if you had thought about megajolt or similar? Fixing it is one of my concerns too, as like you said it is dead easy to fix a points dissy when you have a few pounds worth of spare parts!

Edited by C4NN0N, 27 October 2010 - 05:19 AM.

[Ethel]

It's potentially even quicker & easier to fix solid state electronics like MJ (you could even have them fitted to the car ready to plug in) - but the spares can be more expensive!

[A-Series Spares]

The benefits of the MJ kit really are the fact that they are all Ford parts (mainly) It is very rare that a modern day coil pack or ecu plays up. So if wired up correctly in theory you have a car with ignition as reliable as a Ford Mondeo!

Also the MJ has a built in 'Limp home' feature, so the need for spares is very slim however if needed, spares are more expensive.

[TopCatCustom]

True about changing components, and I didn't know about the limp home mode which is good.